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Entrepreneurs, invested in hiring the right team, spend a lot of
time interviewing prospective candidates. I have hiring managers
facilitating a ten-step screening process that successful
candidates must pass but I insist the final interview is the “CEO
heart-to-heart.”

The one-on-one is an opportunity for the CEO to get to know the
candidate and vice versa. It is your best insight into who might
join your carefully-organized team. Here are the key elements
that guide the questions every entrepreneur should be asking
during the final interview.

Use a script to guide your conversation. To
remain unbiased and give each candidate an equal opportunity, ask
a predetermined set of questions. A script allows you to have a
guided conversation, group similar questions together and ensure
that nothing important gets missed. It’s more of a talk track
than a hard-and-fast script but with your questions written out
your conversations will be tighter and well timed so that
meetings don’t take up an entire afternoon.

Bear in mind that candidates at this stage have been heavily
pre-screened by others in your company and by the department head
where they’ll be working. Those team members have a clear bias to
hire the candidate. To remain objective when you meet a potential
new employee, there a few questions you should be asking, guided
by strategic planning in order to find the right person for your
company.

Target your questions to the role. Craft
different question lists for each role and level of seniority.
There are a lot of similarities, but it doesn’t make much sense
to ask a candidate interviewing for a finance position when was
the last time they missed their sales quota.

If you can ask only a handful of questions in the interview,
rapid-fire your way through the following list of questions.

1. “Tell me about your job search up until now. How has
it been going and what have your experiences been?”

What this tells you: Is the candidate actively seeking
employment or will you be recruiting the candidate away from
their current situation? Many entrepreneurs are curious who else
is on a candidate’s radar and why they are interested in their
company specifically. It is hoped that it’s for more than a
paycheck.

If the candidate tells me something just short of “I want change
the world, and I think this organization is the venue where I can
live out my calling,” then it’s safe to say that I’ve got myself
a winner.

2. “What criteria are you using in selecting your next
company or position. What’s really important to you?”

What this tells you: You know what your company has to
offer. Use their criteria to see if both parties are a good fit.
If the candidate wants to work in a large enterprise and enjoys
the comfort of structure and process, but you’re a scrappy
start-up lacking in operational expertise, you’ll both be
frustrated a month into the relationship.

You now what your company is. You need to determine if that is
what what the candidate is looking for.

3. “What have you done in your present/last position to
increase your organization’s top-line revenues?”

What this tells you: This is not just a question for
salespeople! Every member of an organization is capable of
generating revenues for a company. That’s right. Everyone
contributes to revenue. Listen for examples like suggesting an
idea for a new product or service, a creative pricing methodology
or an up-sell.

What this tells you: Explain that the financial
sustainability of every organization depends on both generating
revenue and minimizing expenses. Listen for the candidate who
eliminated waste, streamlined a process, found a similar yet
cheaper vendor or negotiated a lower rate with an existing
supplier. You want every employee to treat the company as if it
were their own.

What this tells you: Know from the get-go if the
candidate will thrive in your environment. If your organization
is full of lone rangers and this candidate needs steady feedback,
daily check-ins and positive reinforcement, then this is a
nonstarter.

Our organization celebrates successes of all sizes through
in-person recognition, during The Daily Huddle and online using a social
performance management system called Work.com. We’re looking
for candidates who will thrive in our very supportive
environment.

This line of questioning is more about spotting cultural fit than
evaluating their credentials. When candidates have reached this
point in the process, your colleagues are confident they have the
required skills, knowledge and experience. It’s your
responsibility to disqualify candidates before making a hiring
decision you may later regret and celebrate successful candidates

Successful candidates will start the next chapter of their career
with the endorsement of the CEO or founding entrepreneur. That’s
a seal of approval only you can provide.